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Voltaire and the Triumph of the Enlightenment  By  cover art

Voltaire and the Triumph of the Enlightenment

By: Alan Charles Kors,The Great Courses
Narrated by: Alan Charles Kors
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Publisher's summary

Discover why intellectuals and historians alike consider Voltaire to be one of the most intriguing, influential, and elusive thinkers of the modern world. Focusing on the deepest, most enduring aspects of Voltaire's work and thought, but never losing sight of the colorful, fascinating man himself, these 12 lectures sketch for you a vibrant, thought-provoking vision of Voltaire as "the father of the Enlightenment" and one of the great literary personalities of all time.

You'll follow this Enlightenment thinker's 84 astoundingly productive years and go inside not only his masterpiece, Candide, but the hundreds of other works in almost all the literary, philosophical, and polemical genres current in his day, and the more than 20,000 letters this prolific writer and thinker left behind.

What was Voltaire's world like? Who and what influenced him? What questions and dilemmas did he ponder? What evils did he struggle against? What reforms did he advocate? What made him laugh and cry, or write a book like Candide, which is at once so funny and so sad? And what is his place in the history of the Western mind? The answers to these and other questions can be found right here in this illuminating lecture series. If you're unfamiliar with Voltaire and his works, prepare to meet one of Western literature's defining writers. And if you already have some familiarity with the man, prepare to discover even more insights into why he still matters after all these years.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2001 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2001 The Great Courses

What listeners say about Voltaire and the Triumph of the Enlightenment

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Enlightenment ideas still relevant today

This was one of my favorite Great Courses. I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did. My only real exposure to Voltaire before this was reading Candide in high school. The professor has such passion for the topic, and manages to pass it on to the listener. I felt I learned so much about not just Voltaire but the times he lived in, especially about the forces in French society that led to the revolution, and the figures of the Enlightenment that continue to impact us today.

I thought Prof. Kors was one of the best professors in the Great Courses series -- I always looked forward to listening to him.

I also thought this one was perfect on audio. I never had any confusion because this wasn’t in video form. And I find I make much more progress on Great Courses that are in audio since I’m not tethered to the TV. That said, anyone new to the Great Courses should realize that they sound like a professor lecturing (which is what it is) and not like a narrator reading an audiobook. I actually find that more engaging, but I realize some listeners prefer a smooth narration, rather than someone lecturing from a podium.

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10 people found this helpful

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Voltaire challenges all professors, Kors does well

What made the experience of listening to Voltaire and the Triumph of the Enlightenment the most enjoyable?

The passion of the professor.

What other book might you compare Voltaire and the Triumph of the Enlightenment to and why?

Anthony Padgen The Enlightenment and Why it Still Matters

Have you listened to any of Professor Alan Charles Kors’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No. But, I know his politics are different than mine but, he skillfully kept his libertarian/conservatism from the lectures.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The parade in France for Voltaire near the end of his life.

Any additional comments?

Does history offer an intellectual peer for Voltaire? His prodigious writing was not something I was aware of before these lectures. 8 million words boggles the mind.

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4 people found this helpful

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if we could all think this clearly

this is my first introduction to Voltaire and the enlightenment. I found it very entertaining and thought-provoking, I recommend anybody interested in the French Revolution or the American Revolution listen to this course. as it illustrates the thought processes of the 18th century. this is a fascinating treatise on philosophy and the thoughts of man which I am new to. I just finished the course on the French Revolution from the Great Courses. I plan on now listening to Candide and immersing myself in this great thinkers greatest play. the narration is entertaining and enlightening at the same time I listen to this course in the space of one day I found it so interesting.

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outstanding. clear and illustrative!!! I'm spanish

outstanding. clear and illustrative!!! I'm spanish person and I didnt have problem following the lectures

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Couldn’t get past his voice

I truly liked the content and think the lecturer is likely a brilliant man, but I couldn’t get past the tone of his voice. It was like Gilbert Godfrey or maybe the priest from Princess Bride “Mawage is what brings us together…”

If he wrote a book, I’d read it though! Only made it about an hour in and could tell he had a lot to offer on the topic.

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Voltaire

I loved this lecture series. Professor Kors clearly knows the subject and is a great teacher and orator. This is education and philosophy at its best.

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Expert and highly engaging!!!

Loved it. The professor has passion as well as a mastery of the subject matter.

Excellent delivery... excellent all around.

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Listened Twice

I completely enjoyed listening to this book. So much so, in telling my husband about it, we put it on during a long car ride, and listened to it again. After one lecture, my husband was captivated too. I am not sure if this is the exact book, but comedian Tom Rhodes recommended a Great Courses audiobook on Voltaire - it was such an unexpected choice - I had to give it a try when I came across this in Audible.

Each half-hour lecture is dense with information, but easy to understand. I loved Professor Kors as well - he has a distinctive style of talking and accent, so much at first you might go, "oh, I'm not sure I can listen to this" - but his enthusiasm, passion, knowledge and humor makes him come alive as if you were sitting in a favorite professor's classroom. I grew so used to him explaining this pivotal and interesting era of history, I purchased another Great Courses "The Birth of the Modern Mind: The Intellectual History of the 17th and 18th Centuries" that Alan Charles Kors also presents. I wish there were more!

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A solid course on Voltaire the thinker

I particularly like the chapter on Voltaire's writing of "Candide" in response to the Lisbon earthquake and the optimists's attitude towards it. Very powerful.

My only complaint is that I need to listen at >1.3x speed to feel like the it's at a normal rate of talking...

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Enjoyable and Informative

This was an informative and well put together course. It did a good job of putting you in the times, the mind, the writings, and the life of Voltaire. I'm looking forward to doing a deep dive into Voltaire's life a little later in the year, so this was really good prep for that pending venture. I definitely recommend this to anybody interested in this fascinating historical figure.

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